


He's A Royal (Pain In My Ass)

by helloyesIamtrash



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Banter, Cinderella Elements, Fluff, Kuroo and Kiyoko are related, M/M, Male Cinderella, Marriage Proposal, Mutual Pining, Tsukki is a servant, Yachi is a Princess, Yama is the best, and is married to Kiyoko, and works at a palace, lets be real we all know who noir is that piece of shit, masquerades, tsukki is lowkey being sherlock, y'all knew it was gonna happen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-24 05:15:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8358733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helloyesIamtrash/pseuds/helloyesIamtrash
Summary: Tsukishima is a servant in the palace for the kingdom of Nekoma, and he's absolutely fed up with preparing ball after ball for a Prince who apparently can't choose someone to court. So, when a mysterious, dark-haired noble strikes up a conversation in the kitchens the night of a ball, why can't he bring himself to complain? And why does he keep coming back? (Alternatively: The Kinda-Cinderella AU That No One Asked For)





	1. Noir

**Author's Note:**

> IT'S HERE PEOPLE  
> IT HAS ARRIVED  
> THIS IS MOSTLY THE REASON MY INKED AT MIDNIGHT FICS HAVEN'T BEEN COMING OUT AS FAST  
> (I think it's worth tbh)  
> Thanks to Nata1967 for being an amazing beta <3

You know, a lot of people would kill to be in Tsukishima Kei’s position. Have a job, able to afford enough food to eat, work at the palace, etcetera. That’s all well and good, but that doesn’t mean that he has to give a shit. That’s why he doesn’t. 

His parents had gotten the job as servants to the Kuroo Family before their oldest daughter, Kiyoko, had married Princess Yachi and became royalty. They were to pay off their debt, and in order to do so, followed the prestigious family to their new home in the palace along with some other indentured servants. He had accidentally befriended one of them, a boy named Yamaguchi Tadashi, and after a few years, Kei couldn’t bring himself to regret it. 

After moving into their section of the palace, and being reassigned from under Kiyoko’s portion of the family, he was moved to the more general tasks, such as doing laundry and cleaning the floors. He never minded that much, it was just physical labour that he would have ended up doing at some point, anyway. 

What he did mind, however, were these stupid balls that were held for Prince Tetsurou every week on Friday. They were meant to get the royal to mingle and find some giggly rich girl to marry, but apparently, the Prince was extremely picky, since it’s been months with no luck. It irked Kei to no end. He would have been completely fine with it, if not for the fact that the balls took so much preparation for absolutely no luck. 

He had never even seen the Prince after all the years he’s worked here, though that was partially his own fault - he purposefully avoided interaction with most of the royals. The exception was Princess Kiyoko, before she got married - she still stopped by when she could to check up on him and Yamaguchi. Though he would never say so out loud, he had a respect for the Princess - she was very intelligent and can hold her own just fine in just about any situation (except for matters of the heart; when she realized that the cute blonde girl she had been flirting with was the crown Princess, she had come to Kei and Yamaguchi in uncharacteristic disarray. It had all worked out in the end, though.). 

In any case, he was getting a light snack in the kitchen in the last hours of daylight. He had lost count of what ball this was, but it had been happening for months now, so much so that he had learned to dread fridays. Above him, the party chatter was loud, but clearly polite - the volume only because of the sheer amount of people in the ballroom. It had taken hours to get prepared, but despite Kei’s exhaustion, he couldn’t seen to get himself to fall asleep. So, in a half-dazed state, he had dragged himself into the kitchen, avoiding any possible human interaction as he brought out his wooden cup that he borrowed from the communal servant living quarters. Grabbing the ladle from inside the water bucket in the corner of the kitchen, he poured himself a glass of water. 

“What’s this? A little kitten that’s lost its way?” A sultry voice from behind him rang out, causing Kei to jump slightly. He could have sworn he checked thoroughly that no one was around. 

“I can and will castrate you if you call me kitten again.” Kei drawled, his lips curling in distaste as he sipped lightly from his water, refusing to face the speaker. 

“Well, I’d like to call you something, and I could come up with some more nicknames, but I have a feeling you wouldn’t like those either. Can I have your name instead?” The voice lilted, clearly amused. 

“Was that the line that was supposed to win me over?” Kei quipped, a small part of him enjoying the fact that the voice could keep up with his wits. 

“Only if it worked.” The voice said smoothly, and he could hear the person leaning over the table behind him. 

“Keep trying.” Kei snorted, rolling his eyes.

“Damn, thought I had it.” The voice said in mock-mourning. 

“Tsukishima Kei.” Kei relented, turning to face the speaker, only to be hit with a wave of curiosity. The man (the voice sounded very masculine, so the blonde was assuming) was a little shorter than him, and the bottom half of his face was very pale. However, that was all he could see. The rest of his body was covered in a bright red cloak, and the upper part of his face was covered in a decorative crimson mask. Ah, yes - Kei had forgotten that the theme for the balls was always Masquerade. But his eyes were a gleaming golden color, like molten sunlight. They were cheerful and mischievous, the light dancing off of them like they knew something he didn’t. It royally pissed Kei off. 

“Tsukishima Kei… Princess Kiyoko spoke of you before.” The man hummed, and Kei raised his eyebrows. 

“You must be a local noble, then.” Kei stated simply, and the man’s lips twitched into a smirk. 

“When did I say that?” He asked lightly, but the blonde could hear the implications behind his words - ‘Tell me’. 

“You’re wearing a red cloak in the Nekoma kingdom, and only those who are loyal or are enemies of war attempting to make peace would dare wear such a bold shade of our national color and be attending the ball. However, we are not in times of war, so either we’re in grave trouble or you’re a local. I’ll take the leap that you’re a local. You could very well be a commoner, but you mentioned Princess Kiyoko, meaning you’ve at least talked to her once, therefore, noble, at the very least. No one simply meets her and talks so casually about her, especially if they are of lower status. Besides, the mask you’re wearing looks rather expensive - no peasant would have that amount of gold lying around, much less spend it on a mask that they might only wear once. So, a Nekoma noble, at the very least.” Kei drawled, allowing his inner thoughts and small details to be let out into the open. The man stood there in silence for a moment, what could be seen of his face left unreadable, before he chuckled. 

“You’re a smart one. Too smart to be in the kitchens. Sharp tongue, too - I haven’t gotten that in a long time. It’s refreshing, Tsukishima Kei. You interest me.” The man mused out loud, taking a cautious, almost predatory step around the table towards Kei. 

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Kei asked, his voice calm as he stood his ground. He refused to let this man intimidate him. 

“Depends on who you ask, really,” The man said with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, but took no steps further. “What do you think of the balls?” 

“A waste of time, really. From what I’ve heard, the Prince is either uninterested or picky. Either way, he hasn’t chosen anyone ‘suitable’ yet of all of the women that have attended. Frankly, I don’t blame him - some of those women are absolute monsters.” The servant replied bluntly, and the man laughed. 

“Well, you’re not wrong, but I’m surprised you haven’t heard the rumors about the Prince.” The man chuckled. 

“Rumors?” Kei asked, raising an eyebrow in question. 

“The Prince hasn’t chosen a lady because he prefers men.” The man said secretively, and Kei frowned slightly. 

“Is that all? Well, then the balls certainly are a waste of time, if they’re showing him pretty girls and not pretty guys.” The blonde deadpanned, and the man burst out laughing. 

“You’re right, you’re right, it is a waste of time and effort.” The man agreed. 

“Why don’t they hold one with men, then, if it’s true? The King and Queen are fine with Princess Kiyoko and Princess Yachi being together, I don’t see how this is any different.” Kei questioned, and the man sighed. 

“The King and Queen don’t mind at all, but they do need heirs to the throne.” The man explained, and Kei hummed in thought. That would be an issue.

“Adoption?” Kei offered.

“Some members of the court are insistent on a royal bloodline.” Came the reply. 

“Then there should be a problem with marrying off Prince Tetsurou - he’s technically not royal blood, Princess Yachi is. If marriage can allow someone to be included in the royal bloodline, why not adoption?” Kei said thoughtfully, leaning on a nearby counter, and the man was quiet for a moment. 

“You know, you’re right. I might ask someone about that,” The man murmured, his tone something akin to awe. “Thank you.” 

“You know, I never did get your name.” Kei said, ignoring the thanks not because he was an asshole, but because he didn’t get thanked often and didn’t really know how to respond without sounding like an asshole. Instead, he switched the subject. 

“You didn’t, did you?” The man said lightly, a smirk present on his face. 

“Not going to tell me?” Kei asked, an eyebrow arched. 

“It’s more fun this way,” The man replied, the smirk only growing. “We can meet here every ball and talk. I haven’t had a decent sparring partner in ages, since everyone’s always so polite.” 

“I wouldn’t mind that, though I make no promises. Sometimes I have to work late,” Kei stated, though he genuinely would like to talk to the man again. “I would like to call you something, though.” 

“You can call me handsome.” The man grinned with a cheeky wink. 

“Over my dead body.” Kei shot back, his lips curling in distaste. 

“Not your type, then?”

“I can’t know if you’re my type if I can only see half of your face.” 

“Not everything is about looks, Tsukishima. I’m hurt.” 

“That’s not what I meant, and you’re getting off topic.” 

“What about Noir?” The man asked. 

“Black?” Kei translated. “I mean, if that’s what you want, I guess?” 

“Perfect. Noir it is,” Noir smiled cattily, his golden eyes glinting with mirth behind his crimson mask. “I’ll see you next Friday, around the same time, then?” 

“See you then, Noir.” Kei said, and the mysterious man sauntered away with the flick of his cape.


	2. A Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kei meets Noir again, Yamaguchi makes an appearance, and a challenge arises for the noble. The question is, will he take it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So remember how I said one update a week?  
> I lied  
> one update every three days or so  
> ;))))))

No matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, Kei was looking forward to the next ball. And believe him, he tried, but even Yamaguchi noticed something was up. 

“Tsukki? Anything happen recently?” Yamaguchi asked him as they dusted one of the many mantle pieces in the Banquet Hall. 

“Not really, why?” Kei replied, his eyes narrowed in what would have been seen as a deadly glare to anyone but Yamaguchi, who knew it was a sign of his friend’s confusion. 

“You seem… Happier? No, not that, but just… There’s something different. It’s not a bad different, just different.” Yamaguchi finished awkwardly, and Kei internally wondered if he was that easy to read or if it was just easy for his freckled friend. The blonde shrugged as he picked up a small stone statue and dusted it. 

“I met a Noble last Friday at the ball, and he wants to meet again.” Kei muttered quietly, though no one was around - the servants were often assigned rooms in pairs of two. Yamaguchi nearly dropped the silver candle holder that he was polishing. 

“You what? And you tell me this now? It’s Thursday!” Yamaguchi screeched, his wide brown eyes glued onto his friend. 

“It isn’t that important.” Kei shrugged, his mild tone a stark contrast to Yamaguchi’s. 

“Of course it is! That’s it, I need details. Right. Now.” Yamaguchi demanded, poking Kei’s chest for emphasis on the last few words. Kei arched an eyebrow, having not seen his friend this riled up since Kiyoko had told them that she had met someone- Oh. 

“It’s not like that, Yamaguchi. We were simply talking and he thought I was refreshing since I wasn’t formal and polite to him.” The blonde said, dismissing the freckled boy’s idea of a budding romance. Yamaguchi huffed in disappointment at first, a shocked squeak coming in at the end. 

“You were rude to a noble, Tsukki? Do you have a death wish?” Yamaguchi hissed worriedly. 

“Well, I was turned around when I was talking to him at first, and it was a masquerade ball - I couldn’t tell who was a noble and who wasn’t. Besides, I figured it out eventually, and he didn’t seem bothered by it.” Kei sighed, then continuing with a shortened version of what happened to Yamaguchi, whose eyes sparkled as he listened. 

“That’s so cool, Tsukki! A noble, wow! He seemed nice too, and handsome.” Yamaguchi smiled enthusiastically, a sly little wink aimed at the scoffing blonde. 

“I could see like half of his face.” Kei deadpanned. 

“And that part was handsome.” Yamaguchi fired back, earning him a sigh. 

“I guess so.” Kei muttered reluctantly. 

“And he was definitely interested in you, Tsukki! I think that he was totally flirting.” Yamaguchi said in a matter-of-fact tone. 

“But I talk like that to our coworkers and they think I’m an asshole.” Kei stated, confusion swirling in his eyes, and Yamaguchi waved a hand in dismissal. 

“It’s all about context, Tsukki, context,” Yamaguchi reprimanded, and Kei threw him a dubious look. “Don’t doubt me! Anyways, you should look nicer next time! Let me help you get ready tomorrow.” 

“No.”   
\----------------------------------   
“You’re late.” Kei deadpanned, adjusting his glasses. Yamaguchi had insisted on brushing his hair and putting on some of his nicer clothes (as nice as they could be, with his pay), but other than that, he looked much the same. Noir still had on the same mask, but there was a plain black cloak this time - more inconspicuous, easier to blend in. The hood was up, so he couldn’t see any of his hair, either. 

“Ah, well, I was held up by two young ladies.” Noir shrugged, hopping up onto the counter and sitting. 

“I suppose you’d like that sort of thing,” Kei dismissed, frowning as the noble sat on the counter. “That’s unsanitary.” 

“You’re unsanitary,” Noir mimicked childishly, but jumped off the counter, grabbing a chair and sitting on it backwards to face Kei. “And I didn’t like it. It was stuffy and uncomfortable.” 

“Well, you’re here now.” Kei stated, and Noir hummed happily. 

“That I am. I want to get to know you,” Noir said bluntly, a catty grin etched on his face. “Tell me about yourself.” 

“There’s not much to tell, and it’s hardly fair if I don’t know anything about you, either.” The blonde replied, his honey-brown gaze locked with gold. 

“Well, then let’s make a game of it. We each ask each other one question, and the other has to answer it honestly.” Noir suggested. 

“Can we have one topic we agree to not ask each other about?” Kei asked, and the noble nodded. 

“Mine will obviously be about my identity - I like a little bit of mystery, but if you figure it out, I’ll tell you.” Noir said, a gleam in his eye. 

“Mine will be about my family.” The servant said, not elaborating on the topic. 

“Alright! I’ll go first, then. Favorite color?” Noir asked, and Kei snorted. 

“Seriously?” He snorted, and Noir shrugged, unapologetic. “Black, probably. Yours?” 

“Boring. Mine’s red.” Noir said. 

“Typical. And why red? You decided that your name would be Noir. That’s literally black in French.” Kei called out.

“You’re right, you’re right,” Noir laughed, his hands raised in mock surrender. “Favorite food?” 

“I haven’t tried much,” The blonde shrugged in thought, and he could see the noble wince, clearly guilty that he hadn’t thought about Kei’s status. “But probably strawberry shortcake. I had it once when I used to serve under Princess Kiyoko, she brought it for me as a birthday present.” He said, a tiny smile present as the thought back to the day. He had been very surprised - it was all Yamaguchi’s idea, of course, but Kiyoko had been more than happy to oblige. 

“That was kind of her.” Noir murmured quietly with a smile, and Kei nodded in agreement. 

“Cats or dogs?” Kei asked. 

“Cats,” Noir answered immediately, as if this was a no-brainer, his eyes sparkling with mirth. “I have one, and I love her to death.” 

“I like them, too,” Kei added, though he was surprised at himself for sharing. “I used to be indifferent, but then the Prince’s cat, Firefly, took a shining to me while he was away, so now I have a shadow whenever he leaves for a trip. She once sat on my lap for a good half an hour.” Noir absolutely lit up as the servant explained himself. 

“I’ve met her, she’s a cute cat,” He preened before pressing on. “Best friend?” 

“Yamaguchi Tadashi,” Kei answered automatically, a small smile on his face. “I’ve known him since I was little.” 

“Princess Kiyoko mentioned the both of you to me a while back,” Noir said with a grin. “She’s very fond of the two of you.” 

“We served her for years before she got married,” Kei explained. “She’s very kind.” 

“She is, isn’t she.” Noir stated, a nostalgic look creeping into his eyes. 

“Tell me about the worst lady who tried to woo you.” Kei asked, and Noir grinned wickedly. 

“Hoo boy, do I have a tale for you, sir,” Noir smirked, his eyes twinkling with mirth as he launched into his story. “So there’s this girl, Lady… Yuki, we’ll say her name is. She’s very pretty, don’t get me wrong, but dear lord, she was whiny. So, so whiny. She always demanded for things, never asked, and was a general spoiled brat. The worst part about it, though, was that she tried to act all sweet and nice around me, then turn around to face a servant and practically bite their head off. It was like flicking a light switch on and off.” The man recounted, snickering. 

“Sounds like a bitch. How’d you scare her off?” Kei asked, a smirk present on his face. 

“Made out with a guy friend of mine, worked like a charm,” Noir said casually, as if this was the most normal thing in the world as Kei choked on the gulp of water he was downing. “You okay?” Noir asked, a cheeky smile growing. 

“Fuck off, you timed that on purpose.” Kei grumbled, trying in vain to stop the rising pink on his cheeks. 

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.” Noir sang teasingly, a slanted glance thrown his way. 

“Did you really, though?” The blonde asked after a moment of silence. 

“Kiss him? Yeah! We’re the best of bros, so we knew there would be no feelings, and he is pretty attractive. It was all worth it for the look on her face, though.” Noir snickered, and Kei externally chuckled along, but internally he was struggling to process that the mysterious nobleman friend that he met by chance and had been semi-flirting with (apparently, according to Yamaguchi) might actually swing his way? Holy shit? He needed to remind himself of their class status, though - and since when did he like Noir? Last Kei checked, he didn’t… right? 

“It must have been priceless.” Kei agreed, stuffing all of those thoughts into the back of his mind for now to suppress until a later date. 

“What about you? Any lady stories?” Noir asked. 

“I don’t really have any.” Kei shrugged, because it was true. Most of the girls of his social standing that he saw on a daily basis were scared of him or just friends. Noir made a noise of thought. 

“Any guy stories?” Noir revised, and despite not having eye contact with the noble, the blonde could tell that he had subtly moved to watch his reaction to the question.

“Is it that obvious?” Kei asked dryly, because he had no reason to lie to the noble. 

“No, just a guess. I’m right, then?” Noir chuckled softly, relaxing slightly in the chair. 

“Yes, but I still don’t have any guy stories to tell.” Kei said, his voice calmer than he was, thank god, but Noir seemed to be fine with it, especially if he had kissed one of his male friends before. 

“Alright, and since we’re on the topic,” Noir grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. “What’s your type?” 

“Are we seriously doing this?” The blond asked, distaste bleeding into his tone as the noble started cackling, wiping actual tears from under his mask. Though Kei tried to catch a casual glimpse of his face, no such luck. 

“C’mon, I’m curious! Indulge me.” Noir whined, and the servant sighed in resignation. 

“I don’t really have a type? Someone who doesn’t treat me like I’m a delicate flower, I suppose, but still takes care of me. He should be able to take a hit, too, since my bluntness rubs some people the wrong way.” Kei mused casually. 

“So that’s personality stuff down.” Noir said, his tone hinting for him to continue. 

“Really?” Kei sighed in exasperation, knowing that the man was implying looks-wise. 

“Dark hair, defined or dark eyes… The ones that make you think. That’s my bet,” Noir grinned. “I think you like the bad boys.” The blonde groaned, annoyed, because the man wasn’t really wrong, per se. 

“Anyways-” Kei huffed. 

“I was right?” Noir gasped, his tone a mingling of awe and childish superiority.

“Anywa-” Kei repeated more firmly, avoiding the topic.

“I was right on the nose, wasn’t I? I knew it! You seemed-” Noir beamed, snickering.

“I didn’t come here to be harassed.” Kei spat, clearly annoyed. 

“Sorry, sorry, I’ll step off! Here, make it fair. Guess mine.” The noble said, hands raised as a sign to make the peace. 

“Seriously?” The blonde grumbled, and a cat-like grin appeared on Noir’s face. 

“What, stumped?” He challenged, and damnit, now Kei was invested. A few moments passed and Kei was scrutinizing the noble, remembering bits and pieces of past conversations. 

“You don’t like the whiny girls, nor the kind, calm ones. You talk of Princess Kiyoko fondly, but not in a heartbroken manner. You’re happy for her, so you were most likely uninterested in the first place. I’d say you like the loud rebels, but you’re a noble. If you married one, that would cause a lot of trouble. Even if you did like that type, they’re out. Frankly, I don’t even know if you prefer girls, since you kissed a guy and seem completely fine with it, since you mentioned it to me - basically a stranger,” Kei mused, voicing his thoughts as he brainstormed. Noir’s eyes were steady against his gaze, golden eyes meeting honey brown. “You… You said I was ‘interesting’. You were amused when I, a servant of lower class, insulted you multiple times, and instead of throwing me into a dungeon, you wanted to meet me again. I could insult you now, and I doubt you would bat an eyelash,” The blonde’s tone was sharper now, more accusatory. The noble’s face was unreadable, so he continued. “It was refreshing to you, to have someone talk back to you, treat you like a person…” 

“You want an equal. You want a challenge. That’s your type.” Kei finished, golden eyes boring into his own. Silence encased the room momentarily before the noble’s lips tugged upwards. 

“I knew you were too smart for the kitchen,” Noir said, glancing at the clock before standing up and stretching. “My people are probably wondering where I am right now, running around like chickens with their heads cut off. See you next Friday, Tsukishima?” 

“See you then.” Kei replied, wondering briefly if he insulted the noble. If he did, though, why would he have said ‘See you next Friday?’ 

Ugh. 

Where was Yamaguchi when Kei needed him.   
\----------------------------------   
Later, somewhere in the palace, a man of high status and messy black hair flopped onto his bed with a groan. 

“That’s what you get for running off again.” A short man entered the room in a huff, his short, light brown hair nearly curling upwards comically as he stomped up to the man on the bed. Behind him was a similarly short man, entering quietly, his long hair covering his face as he approached. 

“Pity me, Yaku.” The man on the bed groaned, his voice muffled by the pillow he was laying on. The first man who entered, Yaku, rolled his eyes. 

“You’re the one who skipped out on the ball, stupid. I pity Kenma and I, who had to look for you high and low-” The short man with the long hair, Kenma, shared a look with the man on the bed. They both knew that Kenma didn’t help with anything. “-For you tonight, only to find you wandering the halls? What were you even doing?” Silence came from the ebony-haired man. 

“I’ll get you some dinner,” Yaku sighed, finally giving in. “I bet you’re starving. Don’t think this conversation is over.” With a flick of his cape, he left the room, and the man sighed. 

“Is Lev guarding the kitchen tonight?” He asked Kenma, who nodded, causing some light snickers to escape. “He won’t be back anytime soon, then.” 

“Where did you go tonight, My Lord?” Kenma asked quietly, and the man sighed. 

“I told you not to call me that, Kenma,” He chided, only to be met with unapologetic golden eyes, narrowing in suspicion. “I’m in too deep, too fast.” 

“With?” Kenma supplied, his apathetic tone mingled with subtle surprise and worry that the man can only detect due to knowing each other for years and years. The man was silent, lifting his head from the pillow to look at his friend and advisor. His mouth opened and closed, unsure of what to say. Finally, he spoke. 

“A challenge.”   
\----------------------------------   
“So you talked about random things, he pinpointed your bad boy weakness-” 

“Yamaguchi-” 

“So you got all huffy and probably were right about his type, and he got up and said see you next Friday?” Yamaguchi finished incredulously. Kei sighed in frustration as they washed some sheets in the mid-afternoon sunlight. 

“Basically.” Kei grumbled, regretting coming to Yamaguchi with this in the first place. 

“What did you say his type was?” Yamaguchi asked, his eyes sparkling with interest as he furiously scrubbed an off-white pillowcase. 

“A challenge.” The blonde said simply, and his freckled friend’s eyes widened, a large smile coming onto his face. 

“What do you think he took that as, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi asked slowly, watching his friend carefully. Kei’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, not understanding whatever it was that he was implying. 

“An insult? Why else would he have left?” Kei replied, and Yamaguchi clucked his tongue, eyes bright with mischief. 

“No, Tsukki. You are his challenge.”   
\----------------------------------   
As time passed, Kei found that the weeks crawled along at an agonizing pace until Fridays came along. Each preparation for a ball, each perfectly arranged flower vase and spotless window meant one step closer to nights of fun conversation and interesting company and alluring golden eyes. 

Noir kept his promise, coming back that next Friday. And the Friday after that, and the Friday after that, until Kei lost count. It became part of routine to meet with the cheeky noble, and it became more and more dangerous as they spent more time together. He learned about Noir’s cat, a sweet, devoted thing that he wanted to meet someday (though he would never tell the man that). He learned about one of Noir’s best friends, who apparently resembles an owl to an alarming degree and is stupid enough to do anything once. He learned that Noir’s eyes sparkle whenever he’s telling some ridiculous story, when they spark alive and enhance all of the features that he can see. Kei’s probably in too deep, and yet, he still goes. 

It’s been months since he first met the noble that fateful night in the kitchen, and even now, the conversations are never dull. Hell, they debated about which way the toilet paper should be rolled on for a whole night (it was obviously over, no duh). 

“-ima? Tsukki? Kei? Blondie?” Snapping out of his thoughts, Kei finally heard Noir, suppressing the slight shiver down his back as the noble called his first name. 

“Don’t call me blondie.” Kei drawled as he shifted in his chair, the kitchen empty as usual. 

“Sorry, you spaced out and I figured annoying you would be the best way to get your attention.” Noir smirked.

“You’re not wrong,” Kei grumbled. “What were you saying?” 

“I was saying that I’ve skipped out on too many balls. My people are going to keep me under lock and key if I don’t show up to the next one.” Noir said steadily, and a lump formed in Kei’s throat. Ah, well, the dream had to end at some point. 

“So you won’t be here next Friday?” Kei asked, his voice clipped and his lips pressed in a thin line. 

“Nope,” Noir chirped happily. “And neither will you, because you’re accompanying me.” 

What. 

What. 

“I’m what?” Kei asked after a moment, shocked at the words that tumbled out of the noble’s mouth. Maybe he had misheard him? 

“You’re accompanying me! It’s never any fun there, and I still want to spend time with you, so as a compromise, you come with!” Noir beamed, as if this was the easiest thing and most simple conclusion to come to. 

“I think you forget my status too quickly,” Kei said slowly, waiting for the punchline that for some reason hadn’t come yet. “A servant cannot be a guest at a Royal Ball.” 

“I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Noir stage whispered, rolling his eyes. “The ball is masquerade for a reason. My sources say that the Prince wants to meet his One True Love-” Noir put air quotations around this, and it definitely did not cause a snort to escape the blonde boy. “-With no prior information to stand in the way, just two people meeting. Or something. Either way, that’s why I’ve been able to avoid it for so long, people thought that I was attending. And, we can use it to your advantage! People won’t know who you are, you can just blend right in!” The noble finished, and Kei had to admit it was pretty tempting. 

“I could get caught when someone finds me missing.” Kei tried. 

“You literally come here every Friday, how is this any different.” Noir pointed out. 

“I don’t have the proper clothing.” Kei protested. 

“What do you take me for?” Noir snorted. “You can borrow some of my clothing, we’re about the same size and height anyways.” 

“... What do you get out of sneaking a servant boy into a ball?” Kei asked, his eyebrows furrowed in genuine confusion. 

“A companion for the evening? I am a perfect gentleman, excuse you,” Noir teased. “Besides, Lord Bokuto? The owl-one? I’ve told him stories, and I think that he will genuinely sneak into the kitchens during the week soon if he doesn’t meet you.” Kei grimaced at the idea. 

“Alright, I’ll go.” The blonde huffed, and Noir cheered. 

“Meet here at seven pm next Friday, okay?” Noir grinned, and with a wave, he was gone, and Kei felt like he had just been spat out of a tornado. What had he just agreed to?   
\----------------------------------   
“We haven’t talked in so long, please sit,” A woman said with a pleased smile on her face. The man across from her sat down with a certain unease that she couldn’t help but notice, and decided to call him out on this. “What have you done this time?” 

“I’m sorry that you had to skip out on your duties to talk to me, Kiyoko.” The man replied guiltily. Her brow relaxed as she waved off the idea. 

“Oh please, it was a blessing to take a breath of fresh air. I’m only sorry Hitoka couldn’t join us, she loves your company.” Kiyoko dismissed, her eyes growing soft as she mentioned her wife. 

“She used to be terrified of me.” The man chuckled, and Kiyoko giggled slightly. 

“She used to be terrified of everyone,” Kiyoko corrected, and they both smiled. “So, why the sudden tea invite? Surely you’ve been busy as well.” 

“I have, but I want to ask you something,” The man said hesitantly, his voice vulnerable and honest. “What do you think of Tsukishima Kei?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
> cHaLLenGe  
> Hope you all liked this new chapter! <3  
> My tumblr is @decandentcandyeagle hmu if you wanna chat or be my friend or boTH  
> Have a great day!!!!!


	3. The Ball (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the royal ball... Who knows what will be in store for Kei?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen I really reaLLY love nekoma and fukurodani so if there is ever a fic where there is some player on that team and it doesn't include the rest of the team it is the day that I have died and the aliens have taken my place

“Are you Tsukishima Kei?” A short, angry man asked that friday, as Kei entered the kitchen. Cautiously, his face etched with confusion and apprehension, he nodded. 

“And you are?” He drawled, towering over the man at his full height. It seemed to piss him off- a plus. 

“A friend of… Noir’s,” The man stated, his tone annoyed when getting to the fake name. “Come with me, I need to get you ready.” He beckoned, turning on his heel to walk out with a purpose. Kei tsked, but it was definitely his best bet at the moment to follow the man. 

“Where is he?” Kei asked as he followed the male into a rather lavish but completely empty guest bedroom and into the bathroom, where the water was drawn. 

“Well, he should be getting ready, but if he actually is at this exact moment then hell is freezing over.” The man deadpanned, and Kei chuckled. 

“He’s always late whenever we meet up. No matter what. It pisses me off.” Kei offered, and the man snorted. 

“Are you going to get in or what?” The man asked, gesturing to the bath. 

“Are you going to get out or what?” Kei mimicked, a smirk appearing as the man’s eyes widened in realization, his cheeks coloring. 

“Y-Yeah, sorry. Force of habit, it’s necessary for me to stay usually. I’ll be right outside if you need anything.” The man said awkwardly, making a move to leave. 

“Hey,” Kei said abruptly, somehow keeping his tone cool as he remembered what he hated most about attending to visiting nobility. They never were kind, always stuck up. The blonde was determined to not be that visitor. “What’s your name?” The man paused, his hand on the doorknob as he turned around, confusion and appreciation melding together in his expression. 

“Yaku Morisuke, Tsukishima. Nice to meet you.” Yaku replied slowly, his lips turning up in a little quirk before he left, closing the door behind him. Satisfied, Kei turned to the bath and undressed, an exhale of content escaping his lips as he sank into the water. His glasses were put off to the side as he soaked before he realized he couldn’t read any of the labels for the small bottles of hair product that he assumed he was supposed to use. Quickly remedying that, he washed and conditioned his hair, scrubbing himself clean because dammit, if he was doing this he would be clean. Three lemony rinses and a mess of shampoo and conditioner later, he almost looked presentable. He felt cleaner than he had in a long time, which was very pleasing to him. After he toweled himself off, he wrapped it around his waist and put his glasses back on. He opened the door, the steamy bathroom air mingling with the rest of the room. Yaku looked up and gave him a once-over before nodding. 

“You have many options for dress, but I think that these would suit you best.” Yaku stated, handing Kei a mass of red, black, and gold fabrics. A handheld mask rested on top of it, presumably because Kei had glasses and couldn’t see if he wore a regular mask. It was pure black with small gold etchings on the outside, and a single ruby gem placed on one side. The outfit itself fit Kei well, and the coloring brought out his eyes. It wasn’t too much, either, in fact it was rather simple. He loved it. 

“Thank you.” He murmured to Yaku, the tiniest upwards curve of his lips visible as he looked at himself. 

“All in a day’s work.” Yaku sniffed, but the short man was obviously proud of his handiwork. 

“So you’re Tsukishima.” A new, melodic voice rang out quietly within the room. Masking his surprise, as he didn’t hear this new figure enter, he turned to see what he assumed to be Kenma, Noir’s best friend. The man talked of him eagerly and often, though not to a point where it was at all annoying. It was actually rather nice to put a face to the name, especially since the bottle blonde wore no mask. His face was youthful, and his golden eyes were like Noir’s but more…. Analytical. Piercing. It was almost unsettling, but there was a spark of warmth in them. 

“Jesus, Kenma! Don’t do that!” Yaku gasped, and the shorter boy shrugged, his eyes still on Kei. 

“And you’re Kenma. He speaks highly of you.” Kei stated, and the newcomer blinked a few times in acknowledgement before turning to Yaku. 

“He’s getting antsy, I’m taking him.” He said simply, and Yaku sighed. 

“Go on, make sure he doesn’t fuck anything up,” Yaku grumbled. “It was nice to meet you, Tsukishima.” 

“And you, Yaku.” Kei replied before following Kenma out. It was silent as they walked, their footsteps echoing as they walked. 

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Kei mentioned idly. “I believe that he mentioned you and Bokuto wanting to test me, for some odd reason.” 

“He’s rich, and you’re not.” Kenma stated bluntly, and the blond finally understood. There was a possibility to him that he was a gold-digger, and was only after Noir for his money. To be fair, Kei would be suspicious if he was in Kenma’s position, as well. 

“There’s no real way to prove to you that I’m not after him for his money, if I’m up front with you. I could tell you I’m not, but there would be no proof other than my word, and I’m sure you don’t trust me yet. So I’m not sure how to respond to this other than to tell you that I would enjoy Noir’s company even if he was penniless.” Kei replied honestly as they arrived at the entrance hall, his eyes shifting to find Kenma’s golden eyes on him, analyzing his response. 

“He can be a bit naive at times,” Kenma murmured. “I worry about him.” 

“He can be too kind,” Kei agreed, pulling at his outfit. After all, the man had given a mere servant clothes that probably cost more than he’d like to think about. “But kindness and naivety are two very different things.” Kenma hummed. 

“I’m to stay with you until he arrives.” Kenma said in a matter-of-fact tone, and Kei was secretly glad. He wouldn’t have known how to blend in, and god forbid someone tried to talk to him. 

“Shall we?” Kei asked, gesturing to the ballroom door, and Kenma nodded. The bottle blonde then donned his plain black mask, Kei doing the same with his, and pushed the doors open. Polite chatter echoed throughout the ballroom, and the atmosphere elegant and pleasant. All of the guests wore fancy suits and ballgowns, and the rich colors swirled as couples danced to a waltz in the background. There were numerous masks, as well, all richly decorated, but they each had a different stone near the corner of one eye - a theme, perhaps? Kei surveyed the room, and saw colors of orange, blue, purple, but he noticed that none were red, like his. Looking over at Kenma’s, his was a golden stud. Kei didn’t ask. 

Following Kenma’s lead, they descended the large double staircase and into the main area. The elite were mingling, laughing along politely with each other as servants milled around with platters of food and the like. A few people gave Kenma cordial greetings, and he returned them with a simple nod until they came across two people in particular. Kei grimaced as they approached, since he saw one wearing an owl-like mask, a yellow gemstone as a tiny beak on the tip of the nose’s mask. Recalling Noir’s description, this could only be Lord Bokuto. The quiet man wearing a delicate grey mask decorated with a matching gem on one side of his eye who was approaching beside the Lord was most likely his fiancee, Akaashi Keiji - he had been mentioned in passing as one of the prettiest men Noir had ever met, and Kei can’t say that he disagreed. 

“Kenma, Kenma!” The Lord cheered as he caught sight of the bottle blonde, who stiffened and scrunched his face in a grimace. 

“Loud.” Kei muttered distastefully, and he saw Kenma nod in solemn agreement out of the corner of his eye before the pair arrived. 

“Is this him, Kenma?” Bokuto cheered excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet. 

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Kenma asked with a sharp glance, but it didn’t seem to affect the loud man’s mood, who swiveled to look at Kei with large, curious eyes, which widened more as they fell on the red gem inlaid in the blond’s mask. 

“You are Tsukishima, then!” The Lord exclaimed, a large grin on his face. Kei heard someone fumble near him with a platter, and as he flicked his eyes over to the sound’s origin, he blanched slightly. It was Yamaguchi, discreetly staring at him in awe as he regained his footing and mouthed ‘later’. A slight nod as he returned his gaze to Bokuto. 

“Yes, I am. I assume you’re Lord Bokuto and Lord Akaashi?” Kei said politely, because as irritating as this man was, he was also Noir’s friend. 

“Woah, yeah! He was right, Tsukki is smart!” Bokuto gasped, addressing his fiancee as he continued. 

“Please don’t call me that.” Kei drawled, his lips pressed in a thin line as he shifted uncomfortably - it was only okay when Yamaguchi called him Tsukki. He would rather not have anyone else call him that. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Tsukishima. Noir talks about you often.” Akaashi intervened smoothly, a light smile aimed at the blond. 

“And you, Lord Akaashi.” Kei replied, but made no move to bow. It would give away his status. 

“Just Akaashi is fine.” Akaashi corrected, and Kei nodded. 

“How did you meet Te- Noir?” Bokuto asked happily, stumbling on his words as he hastily corrected himself. Was he about to say Noir’s real name? 

“I was getting myself water in the kitchens and he tried to flirt with me. After I shot him down, he for some reason found it funny, and the rest is history, I suppose,” Kei said, the corners of his lips twitching up slightly as he recalls the noble’s previous antics. “How did you two meet?” 

“He and I go way back! I met him when our fathers were out on a hunting trip when we were seven and our mothers introduced each other. They gave us paint to play with, and within five minutes we had completely covered each other in green paint. It was great.” Bokuto reminisced, beaming happily. Kei snorted as he envisioned the two rampaging along in some large mansion, wreaking havoc as they went. 

“C’mon, Bo, why’d you have to tell it like that? We could have been travelling knights who valiantly slew a dragon.” A familiar voice groaned behind him, and Kei’s tiny smile returned on reflex. 

“Dragons would have to be real for me to believe that, Noir.” Kei drawled as he turned to face the noble. Golden eyes met, and Kei tsked. It was pointless to lie to himself and say that Noir didn’t look handsome, because he did. A red mask adorned his face, his gem matching Kei’s own. His outfit was black and red, in the country’s colors, and he wore them well. Noir whistled appreciatively as he looked the blonde up and down. 

“Have to say, you look good. Very good.” Noir claimed, and Kei straightened a little in pride. 

“You don’t look awful.” Kei dismissed smoothly, and he heard Kenma give an amused, short exhale. 

“Et tu, Kenma?” Noir asked dramatically, a hand on his heart in mock offense. 

“I think you look awesome!” Bokuto chimed in. 

“Bokuto, you’re the best.” Noir sniffled, flinging his arms out. Bokuto happily jumped into them, the two boys yelling something else about true friendship. 

“Are they always like this?” Kei muttered, and Akaashi nodded in joint exasperation. 

“Yes, sadly.” He murmured. 

“Helpless.” Kenma added bluntly, and the two taller of the trio snickered. 

“How are you liking the festivities so far, Tsukishima?” Noir asked as he and Bokuto returned from… whatever that was. 

“I’ve been here for five minutes, and I’ve helped set up the balls countless times.” The blonde pointed out. 

“I take it you haven’t tried the food,” Noir coaxed, the disarmingly charming grin still present, and Kei’s resolve cracked. Just a bit. “We have your favorite, strawberry shortcake.” 

“I suppose we could go and have some.” Kei muttered reluctantly, as it was admitting defeat in its own way, but as Noir’s eyes lit up and dragged the blonde over to the banquet area, he couldn’t find even the tiniest shred of regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;))))))))))))))))))))))))  
> the best part of the ball is to come ;))))))))))  
> I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, comments and kudos are much appreciated! <3


	4. The Ball (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I want to court you, Tsukishima Kei."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!!!!! ONLY THE EPILOGUE LEFT !!!!!!!!!!!!!  
>  I'm screeching

It was strange, as they made their way over to the table. Many people were staring, the ladies whispering behind their fans as they walked by and the gentlemen giving him once-overs. At first, he thought that he had been found out, but after a while it seemed highly unlikely. If he had been found out, someone would have kicked him out by now. He had checked his outfit - nothing seemed to be more extravagant than what other guests had. It was bothering him, but right now, cake was more of a priority.

“You know, Yamaguchi is here,” Kei mentioned offhandedly as they found an empty table and sat down, casually eating the desserts they had chosen. Noir then started to cough loudly, his face going red (or, at least, the lower part that he could see). “Are you okay?” 

“Ah, yeah, fine. Am I going to meet him?” Noir asked weakly as he regained a small amount of his composure. Kei arched an eyebrow. 

“If you want to.” Kei shrugged, and Noir, after a hesitant moment, nodded. With that, the blond looked around and saw Yamaguchi, who was handing out small sandwiches to a rather handsome nobleman with brown hair and a blue suit - he must have been from Aoba Jousai, a neighboring kingdom. The freckled man soon glanced over, and Kei jerked his head discreetly, a motion for Yamaguchi to join them. In the blink of an eye, the servant had gracefully made his way through the crowd - the practiced invisibility of the royal servants - and was standing in front of the two. 

“Can I help you two gentlemen?” Yamaguchi asked politely, holding his tray on one hand as he eyed Noir with interest. 

“If you could show us where the balconies are? I’ve heard that they are beautiful at this time of night.” Noir replied smoothly, masking his true intent to all others who may have been eavesdropping. The balconies were indeed beautiful, but they were also private - they could go all go there without revealing their statuses and raising suspicion. With a small nod, they all got up and were lead to one of the more secluded balconies - as soon as Yamaguchi shut the door, he whirled around with a giant smile. 

“Tsukki, you look fantastic! I’m so happy for you!” Yamaguchi exclaimed, his coffee eyes brightening with glee. 

“Happy for me?” Kei questioned, his tone confused, and the servant’s face seemed to fall ever-so-slightly. 

“That you’re here!” Yamaguchi stuttered quickly, brushing over his previous statement. The blond let it drop. 

“So this is the famous Yamaguchi. It’s nice to finally meet you.” Noir said politely. 

“Oh! Um, and you, Noir,” Yamaguchi jumped a little before bowing. “Tsukki’s been telling me about you, as well!” 

“He has, has he?” Noir grinned, mischief oozing out of him as his sharp golden eyes flicked between the two.

“Yeah! He didn’t mention that you were this tall, though.” Yamaguchi laughed nervously, and Noir joined him. 

“Well, I could say the same. You two both worked under Princess Kiyoko, yes? I talk to her fairly often - she misses you two.” Noir claimed fondly, and the two servants smiled softly. 

“That’s nice to hear. I hope that she and Princess Yachi are doing well,” Yamaguchi said softly. “Tsukki, can you give us five minutes?” 

“Why?” Kei asked suspiciously, looking over at Noir with what others may describe as worry. 

“I’m sure he has plenty of questions, it’s fine. We’ll come back in a moment.” Noir assured, and Yamaguchi nodded in agreement. With one final wary look, the blond sighed and closed the door to the balcony, waiting for them to finish whatever it is that they discussed. 

\---------------------------------- 

“You haven’t told him.” Yamaguchi stated, his face forced into neutrality as he turned to face Noir. 

“No.” Noir stated.

“He doesn’t know what it means, you know.” The freckled boy said, his normally shy demeanor and status forgotten. Yamaguchi needed to make sure that he could trust Noir, that he could entrust Kei to him.

“If he asked, I promised myself I would tell him.” Noir replied earnestly, straightening as he steeled himself for the grilling. He figured that this was coming.

“He hasn’t agreed to anything.” Yamaguchi pointed out, almost accusing.

“That’s the point, actually - I wanted to ask. Tonight. Properly, at least,” Noir admitted sheepishly, his cheeks tinged with a pink color. “Here, it makes it more like we’re on the same level, as equals rather than noble and servant. I also didn’t really want to ask in the kitchen. If he says no, then I’ll leave it alone and he doesn’t have to do a thing. If he says yes, then the guests from tonight will recognize him as the one that was with me, and my father will be unable to leave him unacknowledged.” 

“You thought this through.” Yamaguchi relented, a small, relieved smile on his face.

“I care about him.” 

“I can tell.” 

“What… What do you think he’ll do?” Noir asked hesitantly.

“I think that he’ll be shocked, but I think he’ll be more annoyed when he finally puts it all together. Honestly, I’m surprised that he hasn’t figured it out yet. Then again, Tsukki hasn’t ever really been adept when it comes to these types of things.” Yamaguchi replied, and the two both chuckled.

“I truly thought that the hair would be a complete giveaway.” Noir admitted with a grin.

“To be fair, you don’t have many portraits hanging up on the walls.” 

“I always look evil whenever I’m painted. I don’t want to jinx anything so when I die and my castle is sold, the future owners are haunted by the ghost of the evil guy in the creepy picture.” Yamaguchi laughed at this. 

“I think you’ll be good for him,” Yamaguchi smiled, his brown eyes sincere. “Don’t make me regret this.” Noir gulped as he understood what the brunet meant - he had been given the Best Friend Blessing. If Yamaguchi had disliked him, he probably could have persuaded Kei to shoot him down. 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Noir replied honestly, and they both smiled. 

“Shall we get back to him?” Yamaguchi asked. 

“Probably.” Noir laughed, and the two strolled towards the door. 

“Well, that’s one test down for you, Noir,” Yamaguchi muttered conspiratorially, a gleam in his eyes. “But wait until you meet Akiteru.” Noir felt the blood drain from his face. 

“Who?” Noir asked as he whipped his head around, but Yamaguchi had already opened the door and pranced out, sparkles practically floating around him. 

“Are you two finally done? I was wondering if you’d be back in time for my 80th birthday party.” Kei drawled, his sharp golden eyes surveying the two, seemingly satisfied when there were no signs of tension or physical harm. 

“We’re done! Now, I have a job to get back to and nobles to butter up!” Yamaguchi exclaimed cheerfully, the picture of innocence. 

“Have fun flirting with the noble from Aoba Jousai.” Kei called back, and Yamaguchi hurried away rather quickly after that. 

The good majority of the night was then spent with countless insults thrown at Noir, mutual exasperation and bonding between Akaashi and Kei, countless introductions to nobles that Kei had never met and most likely will never meet again, and awkward, panic-filled glances from Noir as Kei made up stories about is background for anyone that asked. It was rather fun. 

If he could, Kei would go to another ball. 

He probably wouldn’t get to. 

Most of the night, he was telling himself to live it up while he could, this wouldn’t last forever. Noir wouldn’t last forever. The Prince would eventually get hitched to some noble’s son or daughter, the balls would stop being held, and Noir would go back to his Big Mansion in the Country, while Kei would stay here to clean and serve for the rest of his life. It was saddening, but realistic. 

“Did you get your fill of strawberry shortcake?” Noir asked with a sunny smile, snapping Kei out of his thoughts. 

“Have you gotten enough mackerel? I swear you’ve eaten half the table.” Kei shot back immediately - it was almost reflexive, at this point. Comforting. Familiar. Noir let out a hearty laugh, and Kei allowed himself a tiny smile, genuine and fleeting, yet beautiful all the same. 

“Hey, can I show you my favorite spot here?” Noir asked, completely unphased by the blond’s insult as he held out his hand. Warily, the servant took it, and before he knew it he was pulled out from the ballroom and into the long corridors he knew so well. They walked farther and farther away from the warm glow of the ball, the echoes of chatter dulling. 

“Where are we going?” Kei asked after a little more dragging around to some unknown place, and just the Noir stopped at a closed door - no different than all the identical frames in the long hall, but apparently special in some sort of way. With a wink, Noir threw open the double doors to reveal… a sitting room? 

“Firefly!” Noir called, and a meow was heard from inside the room and a soft thud following close behind. From one of the couches a small calico cat trotted towards the two of them, rubbing against Noir’s legs as she purred. The black-haired man swooped her up in his arms, looking at her fondly as he jerked his head, motioning for them to go inside. Kei closed the door behind them, and they both sat down on one of the few couches, and Firefly then decided to transfer into Kei’s lap, who happily obliged as he put down his mask. 

“Hello, Your Highness.” Kei chuckled as the cat stretched and kneaded into his lap for a few seconds before settling in.

“I see she has a favorite.” Noir said with a slight pout, seemingly put out that the cat favored the blond. Kei shrugged. 

“I feed her, usually,” Kei explained. A comfortable silence enveloped them momentarily. “I can see why you usually skip out on these.” 

“They aren’t the most fun, and talking to the same people is boring.” Noir agreed with a chuckle. 

“A lot of them were staring at me. I thought for the longest time that I had been found out, but no one ever said anything.” Kei remarked, and he heard the man suck in a sharp breath. 

“They weren’t staring at you,” Noir stated quickly, before awkwardly correcting himself. “Well, I mean, you look amazing, so they should be, but not for that reason.” 

“What reason?” Kei asked suspiciously - he knew something was wrong, this had to be all some sort of joke. This whole thing, really. Why would someone of his status do all of this? The cat jumped off of his lap and rested on his side of the couch, and the blond grew anxious.

“You’re smart, you tell me.” Noir replied softly, and Kei decided to think. There must have been some sign, something different about him that made others notice him. He would say the clothes, but they seemed to blend in rather well, nothing looked off about them. The mask might have been it, but it was in that style because of his glasses - he had seen others doing something similar. Something that had varied for everyone but him… 

“The gemstone. I saw no other variation of this except for on you. There were all sorts of colors, but never red,” Kei said at last, his eyes staring into a shimmering gold pair across from him. Noir was smiling at him- encouragement. Continue. “They tended to be in pairs, I saw Lord Bokuto and Akaashi with matching ones. I assumed it meant from which kingdom they came from, but apparently not.” 

“You’re right, a large part of the ball was centered around the gems. The Prince created a coded system, where those who had matching gemstones had some sort of affiliation. He reserved the color red for the one he would choose,” Noir said softly, and it hit Kei like a ton of bricks. Red. Red Red Red. His hand touched the red gemstone on his mask unconsciously. Noir was the Prince. Noir was Prince Kuroo Tetsurou of Nekoma, not some mere noble that was visiting. “I’ve been saving mine for tonight, actually. I’ve wanted you to come with me for a while now.”

“What do you mean, the one?” Kei asked, not daring to hope. 

“I want to court you, Tsukishima Kei.” Noir- no, Kuroo admitted quietly, two pairs of golden eyes staring at each other. Kei was taken aback, in a slight state of shock. This was happening. This wasn’t a dream. 

“Well, I kind of haven’t mentioned your status to my parents… Or Yachi’s family…” Kuroo continued sheepishly, and Kei felt anxiety creep into his veins - it could still become too good to be true, Kuroo’s family could reject him. “But because all of the people saw you tonight, they have to at least give you a chance! I’m sure they’ll love you. And you already have Yachi and Kiyoko’s approval!”

“You… Why? Why me?” The blond managed to choke out, his voice thick with repressed emotions that finally passed into reality. Words unspoken followed him - I’m a servant, a poor nobody who prickles at the slightest touch. 

“The fact that you’re questioning this is enough,” Kuroo chuckled softly. “You aren’t doing this for money or status like all of the other people here, otherwise you would have said yes immediately. You… At first, you were a good distraction from the balls. That’s what I wanted you to be. But as soon as you opened your mouth, I could tell that it would be much more than that. You reprimanded someone of higher status, and continued to do so even after. You advised me on a rather taboo topic that I had been struggling to fight my actual advisors on for months, that I ‘had’ to marry a woman in order to continue the bloodline. You never asked for money. You never treated me as above you. I felt like an equal for the first time in my life, and then, it became more than a friendship for me.” 

“Noir- Kuroo? Fuck it, just… yes. I would like that a lot,” Kei responded awkwardly, but they both knew he was genuine. “Now shut up or I might cry.” 

“Wait, so you’re not pissed at me for being a prince?” Kuroo asked incredulously, and it was a fair point - it was a big thing to hide, even though they had promised not to talk about his status from the beginning. But, as Kei thought, he realized he was more pissed about something else. 

“I’m pissed that I didn’t realize that you were the prince.” Kei grumbled as he flicked through his memories. He had never seen the prince before, technically, but still. Kuroo laughed loudly, a clear, happy sound. 

“This is what you chose to worry about.” Kuroo grinned with a shake of his head. 

“Well, I do want to talk this out, because if we’re doing this I need to know what will happen.” Kei admitted, as he’s fairly certain a prince has never chosen to court a servant before. 

“Well, it’s really just regular courting, but like, you stay in the guest rooms and we spend time together? You get to choose a person to be your ‘personal servant’ too, since you don’t already have one, but I have a feeling you-” 

“Yamaguchi.” 

“There it is,” Kuroo chuckled good-naturedly, a soft smile on his face. “And I highly doubt Yamaguchi would decline - higher pay and more time with you. Either way, you both are getting a good deal. But, back to courting. The Nekoma court will allow us one year of romance-y stuff, like getting to know each other and seeing if we would work well together.” 

“Relationship-wise or leadership-wise?” Kei asked bluntly. 

“Both, although I feel like neither will be a problem for us.” Kuroo replied confidently, and Kei felt a wave of comfort almost immediately. 

“Anything else?” Kei asked, a small smile on his face. 

“I… I want you to remember that I won’t force you to stay here,” Kuroo said, determined but melancholy. “This is entirely your choice, and if you want to leave at any point, you can. I don’t want this to become a cage for you.” 

“I doubt that will happen anytime soon, but thanks for the tip,” Kei scoffed with an eyeroll, deeming the idea to be ridiculous. “You think you can run anything on your own? Please, if anything I’m doing this for the good of the country.” The blond deadpanned, but the gleam in his eyes and the quirk of his lips revealed his teasing manner. 

“I am appalled at this behavior against your prince!” Kuroo gasped, mockingly aghast from this clear blasphemy. 

“My Prince?” Kei repeated innocently, as if testing it to see how it sounded. “I quite like that.” 

“Well, I’d call you my servant, but that seems a little strange for your new status...” Kuroo replied eloquently, his eyelids lowered and his cheeks a faint red. Flustered. “Maybe I can just call you mine?” 

“Pretty smooth, did you practice it in the mirror?” Kei fired immediately, despite the comment having met its purpose as his eyes shined. 

“Only for you.” Kuroo shot back, a sappy grin on his face being tarnished with a yawn. 

“How much sleep did you get last night?” Kei demanded, his eyes narrowed, and the prince grinned sheepishly. 

“An hour or two?” He reluctantly replied, clearly not too apologetic. The blond groaned in exasperation. 

“Take a nap,” Kei stated, and there was clearly no room for question. Therefore, Kuroo plopped his head on Kei’s lap with a cheeky grin on his face. “Really?” 

“Hey, best spot in the house!” Kuroo laughed tiredly as he shut his eyes. After a few minutes, it was clear that the prince was out cold, clearly sleep-deprived. Even with the mask on, Kei could tell how youthful he looked while sleeping, the worry melting off of his face. Almost involuntarily, Kei brought his hand up and started to rake his fingers through Kuroo’s surprisingly soft mess of hair. He hummed contently, happy to stay there for a while. It had been a good little while when he heard a noise. His brow twitched in confusion before pure amusement washed over him. The prince was purring as the blonde ran his fingers through his hair, stirring a bit before golden eyes hazily blinked open. Kuroo then shot straight up, crimson painting his cheeks, and Kei couldn’t help himself. He started laughing and laughing, peals of it ringing out like bells, and any embarrassment the prince may have had was blown away by sheer wonder. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. 

“You’re ridiculous, do you know that?” Kei managed as his laughter died down, a fond smile resting on his face. 

“I do, in fact, know that,” Kuroo grinned, sending the blond a wink. “Ah, I did promise my parents that I would introduce you at some point…” 

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Kei asked, worry blossoming on his features, but Kuroo was quick to reassure him. 

“They were going to be occupied by entertaining the guests for a large part of tonight, I wanted to introduce you later.” Kuroo replied with a reassuring squeeze. 

“Is later now, then?” Kei asked, exasperated but fond.

“If now is okay.” Kuroo said with a grin, getting up and holding out a hand to the blond, who took it with an eyeroll and a smirk. They then walked back to the ballroom hand in hand, a giant grin on Kuroo’s face and the smallest, most genuine smile on Kei’s. 

The party had clearly been taken down a few notches and there were less people there, but it make it a lot easier for them, anyway. It did feel strange to walk without his mask, though - Kuroo still had his on. Kei caught Yamaguchi’s eye as the freckled boy was serving a rather drunk noble, and his friend lit up and gave him a thumbs-up. He caught a glimpse of Bokuto and Akaashi as well, and the latter looked like he had to physically restrain the first from bouncing over to them and screeching. Nevertheless, they looked happy too. The blond started to feel nervous, however, when they started to climb the stairs up into the private royal balcony, where whoever held the ball would stay and watch the guests mingle below. But, with a gentle squeeze from Kuroo, Kei steeled his nerves and repeated to himself ‘Don’t be an asshole don’t be an asshole don’t be an asshole’. 

“Tetsurou!” A voice sang out happily as they entered the balcony. A tiny blonde whirlwind zoomed over from the table where the rest were sitting, a large smile on her face. It was Yachi, and Kei was taken aback for a moment - she usually wasn’t this open around others, as he recalled. “You came just in time for dessert- Kei?” She suddenly gasped as her doe eyes fell upon the servant. 

“Nice to see you again, Princess Yachi.” Kei said formally, giving her a respectful bow. She looked between the two men, clearly putting two and two together as her eyes lit up. 

“Tsukishima,” Kiyoko said warmly as she elegantly rose from her spot at the table and glided over to the two newcomers. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, it truly has been too long.” The spark in her eyes gave away her knowledge of the situation, and a soft smile graced her lips. 

“I agree, Princess Kiyoko, but the pleasure is all mine.” Kei replied smoothly. 

“Ah, so is this the famous man who stole my son’s heart?” Came a new voice, clearly feminine, but rougher and teasing. From the table, an older man and woman rose up to join the rest of them, clearly Kuroo’s parents. His mother had the same golden eyes as her son, and they glinted with mischief and amusement as she strode over to them. Her confidence rolled off of her in waves, and her inky hair was tamed back in braid. His father was tall, taller than the two of them, but he seemed more relaxed than his wife, more open. The grin he wore was just as crooked as Kuroo’s. 

“I’m Kuroo Taisei, and this is my wife Kuroo Himari.” 

“My name is Tsukishima Kei, it’s a pleasure to meet you both.” Kei introduced formally as he bowed, the epitome of politeness. 

“Tsukishima… I don’t believe I’ve heard the name before.” Kuroo’s father said politely, but his mother’s eyes widened. She knew. Perhaps she remembered the last name of her daughter’s old servant.

“Tetsurou,” She said cautiously as she looked between the two. “Are you sure about this?” 

“Yes.” Kuroo replied immediately, and the woman nodded decisively before her sharp gaze fell upon the blond. 

“And you, Tsukishima? Are you sure? It will be a harder path.” She stated, and Kei knew it would be true. They would probably face discrimination throughout their lives, both for their sexuality and former status. But he had already made up his mind. (If he really thought about it, he probably made up his mind a long time ago, when a certain noble asked to meet him again.) 

“I am sure.” He replied clearly, his voice ringing true. 

“Very well,” She said, and gave him a small grin - a peace offering. “Welcome to the family!” 

“Did I miss something?” Kuroo’s father asked as his brow furrowed. 

“Kei here is of lower status,” Kuroo’s mother dismissed with a lazy wave of her hand. “But we can’t say we didn’t expect him to do something rebellious.” 

“At least he didn’t marry anyone from that wretched Nohebi kingdom, I simply cannot stand their government system.” Kuroo’s father agreed with a weary sigh. Kei was floored as he watched them interact. He hadn’t expected it to go this well. 

“Now come sit down, Tetsurou! I need to hear the story of how this happened, do enlighten us, Kei!” Himari demanded as she gestured vaguely at them. 

“Kuroo-san-” 

“Call me Himari, dear.” 

“Himari-san, do you want the nice version or the true version?” He asked her, his eyes glinting with mirth as Kuroo choked on air. Himari grinned maliciously. 

“The true version, of course.” She replied. 

“He tried to hit on me and I insulted him,” Kei deadpanned, and Himari held back a chuckle, while Taisei let out a hearty laugh. “I then proceed to give him political advice on a rather touchy subject when he asked for my honest opinion, and he went through with it, the adoption idea?” 

“Ah, yes! Thank you for that, Tsukishima,” Kiyoko beamed, her words soft but heartfelt. “We’ll be looking in some orphanages within the month.” Yachi bounced up and down in her seat, apparently just as excited. 

“I’m glad,” Kei said, then continuing on. “Apparently a servant insulting a prince and giving him advice on politics was refreshing to him, so he wanted to meet again the next ball.” 

“Well, that certainly wasn’t what I expected, but it could have been worse.” Taisei relented, and they all laughed and talked for what seemed like hours - Kei had never felt this… at home except for when he was with Yamaguchi. Soon, though, a servant came and whispered something incomprehensible into Taisei’s ear. 

“Tetsurou, I’m afraid I’ll have to steal the ladies from you for the rest of this evening, some of the neighboring nobles wish to chat about certain plans for the future,” He said with a warm smile. “It was nice to meet you, Kei.” 

“And you, sir. It was nice to meet you too, Himari-san, and to see the Princesses again.” Kei replied politely, and with a flourish of hugs and promises of tea at another date, they were gone, and Kei deflated onto Kuroo’s shoulder. 

“That went well,” Kuroo grinned, and Kei groaned. “Hey, are you okay?” 

“Yeah, just… it’s a lot.” Kei reluctantly admitted. 

“I- Shit, sorry, I didn’t even ask how you were doing, it was just going really well and I-” Kuroo rambled, but the blond cut him off. 

“You know how you could make it up to me?” The servant asked with a smirk. 

“How?” Kuroo asked immediately, a little flustered. 

“You could finally take off your goddamn mask.” Kei deadpanned. The prince blinked rapidly, touching the mask on his face before chucking.

“I actually forgot I had it on.” Kuroo admitted, and nimble fingers brushed it away from his face. Kei swore that his heart stopped, because holy shit this was unfair. Kuroo was extremely attractive, with high cheekbones and full lips and thick black lashes that hung low over golden eyes. Fuck this. Fuck stupid Noir and Kuroo Tetsurou and his stupid attractiveness, and his goddamn perfect personality. 

“I don’t like you,” Kei grumbled, hiding his pink cheeks as he fell onto Kuroo’s broad chest in a grumpy huff. “You can’t simply be the whole package. It’s unfair.” 

Kuroo laughed into Kei’s hair and held him close. “Well, you’re one to talk.” 

“I’m literally a poor asshole.” Kei chuckled. 

“A poor asshole who I really wanna kiss-” Kuroo said smoothly before faltering, a little nervous. “Uh, if that’s okay?” He quickly added. Slowly, Kei pulled away from Kuroo to make eye contact, a single eyebrow raised. Without another word spoken, Kei cupped Kuroo’s cheek and leaned in, pressing their lips together in a soft peck. 

“You know, I didn’t take you for some sort of sap to ask permission for a kiss,” Kei grinned, enjoying his current power over the blushing mess beneath him. “Especially after we basically agreed to marry each other an hour ago.” A large smirk crept onto Kuroo’s face, and the blond suddenly felt confusion and concern wash over him. 

“I don’t recall you saying yes, Kei.” Kuroo grinned slyly, his eyes alight with happiness and mirth as Kei’s blood ran cold as he realized his mistake. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kei huffed, but the grin only grew, and before he knew what was happening, Kuroo was the one who leaned in. Their lips met gently, slowly shifting as one of Kuroo’s hands snaked up to cup the back of the blond’s neck, the other on his cheek. It wasn’t a fiery or passionate kiss, not to say that it was bad - it was soft and slow. 

“Are you sure you don’t remember?” Kuroo asked as he reluctantly pulled away, smiling widely at the blond. 

“I’m not sure, maybe I need a reminder.” Kei replied immediately, and the two laughed and shared kisses late into the night. They were slow, soft, and sure, taking their time and soaking in the other’s presence. After all, there was no more sneaking around at late hours of the night, no more secret identities, and no more class boundaries to hold them back. Finally, they had a luxury they never thought possible; they had all the time in the world to be with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Voila! Only the epilogue is left, guys! This is so weird, I've spent so much time on this and it'll be weird when it's over. Either way, thank you all so much for your support on this, and I hope you all have a great day! <3 
> 
> (P.S. I was going to leave y'all hanging when he asked to court Tsukki but I decided I wasn't that mean I hope you appreciate that)


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been the allotted year since Kei and Kuroo started courting.  
> It's time to either go back to the way things were, a lowly servant and a single prince, miserable without each other...  
> Or get married and live happily ever after.  
> (We all know which one will happen)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT IS TIME  
> FOR  
> THE ENDING FLUFF  
> ;)))))))))))

“Wake up, Tsukki!” A familiar (yet too perky for ass-o-clock in the morning) voice rang as a force shook Kei’s shoulder. Grumbling unintelligible words, the blond rolled over and opened one eye. 

“Shut up Yamaguchi,” Kei muttered darkly. “It’s too early.” 

“Sorry, Tsukki. It’s always too early for you!” His friend exclaimed, freckles glowing in the morning light, the high quality personal-servant uniform given to him suiting him well. The blond smiles internally as he remembered the day he asked Yamaguchi to be his personal servant during the whole courting process (“What else would I be doing?” he had blubbered into Kei’s suit.) 

“Did you get any letters from King Oikawa recently?” Kei replied innocently, and a blush fell upon freckled cheeks. Ever since the ball, the royal of the neighboring kingdom, Aoba Jousai, had taken a particular interest in Yamaguchi after he had been told by his bodyguard Iwaizumi that he couldn’t charm anyone if he tried. To prove him wrong, Oikawa had set his sights on Yamaguchi, and to be fair, it worked, but everyone knew by the end of the night it was much, much more than that. 

“You asked for it!” Yamaguchi sang, and threw off the plush covers of Kei’s warm bed. The blond sat straight up in shock from the cold, and gave his friend a death glare, who was smiling innocently as he held out his glasses. Kei took his glasses with a huff. 

“It’s almost time, isn’t it?” Yamaguchi reminisced, and Kei nodded. It had almost been a year since his first ball, when Tetsurou had asked to court him. Their year was almost up, and by the end of the week, they were either going to break up or become fiancees. Though it was very clear that they would become the latter. Everyone in the castle knew it, everyone who had even heard of the two knew it. They were the unlikely pair of Nekoma, the snarky servant and the sly cat prince. A force to be reckoned with, enemies called them. Strategists, their allies called them. Smug assholes was the term they affectionately used for each other. 

The past year had been undoubtedly the most terrifying, different, best year of Kei’s life. Though it was filled with politics and lessons and new people, it was also filled with laughter and new friends, and (most importantly) Tetsurou. He wasn’t sure when Kuroo turned into Tetsurou, or when Lady Himari became Mom, or when Princess Yachi became Hitoka. It all just happened, as naturally as breathing. 

“Is it ready?” Kei asked nonchalantly, despite his true nerves. 

“Yep! I got it this morning,” Yamaguchi beamed, holding out a small, plain metal ring. His mother’s old wedding ring, unisex and newly polished to make it look less old. Kei took it with a nervous gulp, imperceptible to those who didn’t know him. “He’s going to say yes, you know.” 

“I know,” Kei stated. “That doesn’t make it any less terrifying.”   
\----------------------------------   
“You’re going to burn a hole in the floor.” Kenma stated blankly as his golden eyes watched Tetsurou pace in his room. 

“Good.” Tetsurou spat, his brow furrowed in worry as he stared down at the wedding band in his hand. Breaking yet another tradition, the prince decided to choose the ring he would propose with. He liked it, it was a simple gold band with silver on the edges. Not too much, but not nothing, either. Simple and elegant. It reminded him of Kei. 

“Why are you stressed about this when you know what his answer will be?” Kenma asked, his bland tone ruined with the slightest hint of curiosity and worry. 

“Kenma, imagine… Imagine you have your own house, and you want Hinata to move in with you. You know that he’ll probably say yes, and everything will be fine, but what if- what if he doesn’t?” Tetsurou said, his voice breaking off at the end as he stopped his pacing. Kenma got up and tugged his sleeve. 

“Kuro.” 

“Yeah.” 

“He loves you, so much.” Kenma stated, and Tetsurou slumped forward.

“I know.” Tetsurou murmured quietly.

“And you love him desperately.” 

“I know.” 

“It’s actually kind of gross.” 

“Get to your point.” Tetsurou chuckled weakly. 

“My point is, you’re being dumb. If he didn’t love you, he would have left a long time ago.” Kenma said quietly, and Tetsurou sighed, pulling a very reluctantly indulgent Kenma into his arms. 

“Thanks, kitten.” 

“Don’t call me that.”   
\----------------------------------   
“Kei!” An excited voice rang out from behind the blond, causing him to fumble and shove the ring in his pocket - it was Hitoka. 

“What was that?” She gasped, her face split into a huge smile. 

Crap. She saw. 

“I don’t know what you mean,” Kei said sharply, before wincing at his tone and softening it. “Have you seen Tetsurou?” 

She smiled warmly. “He’s in the herb gardens behind the kitchen, I think he wanted to see you, too.” 

“Thank you.” Kei smiled softly as he made his way to the herb gardens. 

“Good luck!” Hitoka called back, and he could hear her giggles as her shoes clicked away in the opposite direction.   
\----------------------------------   
“Tetsurou?” Kei called as he entered the small garden. It was in a little courtyard behind the kitchens, and it was often where the blond came to think. 

“Kei!” Tetsurou called fondly from further in. As the blond reached him, they took each other’s hands as the prince gave him a kiss on the cheek. 

“Did you manage to lose Yaku?” Kei asked, a knowing smirk on his face when he couldn’t spot the short brunet. 

“No, he said he needed to do something with Lev.” Tetsurou grinned. 

“Which means they’ll be making out for a good hour.” The blond snorted. 

“Exactly.” Tetsurou laughed, squeezing Kei’s hand. 

“It’s almost been a year.” Kei stated wistfully, the corners of his lips upturned slightly. 

“The one tradition we’ve stuck with,” Tetsurou chuckled nervously before turning to face his lover. “I want to break another tradition.” 

“Oh?” Kei asked, his eyebrows raised as he smirked. “What will it be this time? If you wanted to wear a wedding dress, I have to say you’ll look good in heels.” 

“Although that is undoubtedly true, it’s not that,” The prince grinned, though he was obviously nervous. He sank down on one knee, brought out the ring box from his back pocket, and Kei’s heart just about stopped. “Tsukishima Kei, I loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you. I-I don’t know what I’d do without you. This past year has been the b-best year of my life, a-and-” Tetsurou stuttered, panic jolting through his veins. Why wasn’t he talking? He knew his speech, he knew he loved Kei more than the world itself, but his mouth wouldn’t make sound. Just before his world came crashing down, Kei knelt down with him and undid a chain from around his neck that he hadn’t noticed and pulled out- oh. 

“Take your time, but it’s my turn,” Kei caressed his cheek comfortingly, a shaky smile on his face as he held a ring of his own in his hand. “I’ve never really been… good with voicing my emotions well. I’m prickly, and I tend to piss off a whole lot of people.” A soft laugh from Tetsurou. “A long time ago, my mother gave me this ring. She said it was the most valuable thing she had ever owned, and she made me promise that when I was older, I would give it to the most important person in my life - the person I would marry. I didn’t think that day would ever come. But then, I, a lowly servant with a smart mouth, met a mysterious, funny noble who treated me as an equal, and I slowly found myself falling. Hard. We talked and argued for hours about the stupidest things with smiles on our faces. It felt like I had known him for my whole life. I didn’t allow myself to believe that it could last.” He paused. “Then, he invited me to a ball, swept me off my feet and everything.” Kei teased, a soft smile on his face as Tetsurou choked back tears with watery laughter. “He revealed that he was a prince. He wanted to court me, of all people. I said yes, and Tetsu, I’ve had the best year of my life with you. I want to stay in a little bubble in time, here, but I can’t do that, since it’s physically impossible.” Kei quipped dryly. “So to make up for it, I was hoping we could spend the rest of our lives together instead.” Kei said softly, golden eyes meeting gold. 

“A year ago, I said yes when you asked to court me, so now I think it’s probably my turn to ask. So, Kuroo Tetsurou, will you marry me?” Kei asked, his face vulnerable and shining with hope, and the prince’s eyes welled up all over again. 

“Yes!” Tetsurou choked out as he threw his arms around the younger of the two, blubbering as they clung to each other. “You’re such an asshole-” 

“We’ve been over this.” A weak laugh from the blond.

“-interrupting me in my heartfelt speech-” A choked off sob. 

“You couldn’t talk.” 

“-and then stealing my fucking thunder and proposing to me!” Tetsurou laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of it all, wiping his slowing tears away furiously. Kei pulled away slightly to look at his fiancee with the biggest, most genuine smile Tetsurou had ever seen, and he could feel the warm, tingling feeling rise and spread throughout his whole body.

“Hey, you just agreed to marry me.” The blond pointed out. 

“Hell yeah I did!” Tetsurou exclaimed, and he pulled his fiancee (fiancee!!!!!) into a loving kiss as the melted into each other. 

“Hey.” Kei laughed breathlessly once they broke apart. 

“Hey.” Tetsurou replied euphorically. 

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> W O W GUYS  
> IT'S OVER  
> IT'S DONE  
> MY FIRST MULTICHAPTER WORK  
> THIS IS WEIRD BUT AWESOME  
> Thank you all so much for your continued support on this fic and I really hope you guys enjoyed! Comments and kudos are much appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Ok to clear things up before y'all ask, no, Noir's name is not a reference to Miraculous Ladybug. You'll see why he chose that name later. ;)))))  
> This work is finished, so no need to worry about me abandoning it, and I will post at least once per week until it's done!  
> My tumblr is @decadentcandyeagle if you wanna chat :)  
> (also this fic is like almost 15k with uneven chapter amounts so buckle up for a wild ride)  
> I hope you all like it so far! Have a great day! <3


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